Everything can change without notice at any moment…

Calculus I (Math 125g)
Fall 2020
Class number  39462D

Math 125g in Fall 2020 semester: Key dates

  • August 17: first day of classes
  • September 4: Last day to drop without a `W’ AND with refund
  • September 7: Labor Day, no class
  • September 14: Midterm Exam 1
  • September 25: Computer Project 1 is due
  • October 2: Last day to drop without a `W’, BUT WITH NO refund
  • October 12: Midterm Exam 2
  • October 30: Computer Project 2 is due
  • November 6: Last day to drop with a `W’
  • November 9: Midterm Exam 3
  • November 13: Final Homework is due; Last day of classes
  • November 18: Final exam (2-4pm)
  • Instructor: Dr. Sergey Lototsky.
    Office: KAP 248D.
    Phone: (213) 740-2389.
    E-mail: [my last name] (at) usc.edu
    Office hours: TBD, on zoom

Please make sure to talk to me about your problems, questions, or concerns in this class. We can always arrange a special zoom meeting.

 

  • Teaching Assistant: Shiyun Wang.
    E-mail: shiyunwa at usc {dot} edu
  • Lectures: MWF 10:00-10:50 am online.
  • Discussions: TuTh 10-10:50am and 11-11:50am, online

Textbook: “Essential Calculus ” by James Steward, Thompson-Brooks/Cole

 

Goal

    To overpower  the material in Chapters 1-4 and Sections 5.1-5.5 of the book.

Objectives

    To get used to the standard material in the first-semester calculus course (computing various limits and derivatives; setting up and solving relative rate and optimization problems; sketching a graph of a function using the information contained in the first two derivatives; computing integrals using basic substitutions, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and the definition of the Riemann integral) and to be ready to succeed in any subsequent class requiring this material.

A detailed (practical) summary of what we will learn.

A theoretical summary of Calc I (Formal definitions of limits and several key theorems related to continuous functions, derivatives, and integrals)

  • Midterm Exams will be based on old final exams. Many of the previous final exams are here and a more complete set is in the content section of Blackboard.
  • Final exam policies: Please show all of your work and reasoning; In the final answers, keep  the irrational numbers such as pi, e, ln 2, sqrt{2}, do not convert ordinary fractions to decimals, and
    do not approximate anything. If you have a question, please write to the instructor using the private chat function of the zoom meeting. Other than that, you may not communicate with anybody during the exam. Note that the final exam is the same for all MATH 125 lecture groups.Homework and Quizzes: There will be  weekly homeworks and quizzes, and two computer projects.Each of the two computer projects will have the same contribution as one quiz. The discussion section instructor will make, administer, and grade the quizzes.Grading:

    • Quizzes and computer projects, 20%
    • Homeworks, 15%
    • Three One-Hour Exams, 10% each
    • Final Two-Hour Exam, 35%

    Class schedule

    Homework problems

    Computer projects

    Missed work. The general rule: no make-up exams or quizzes, and no late submissions of homeworks or projects (but early submissions, especially in electronic format, are welcome). Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If you miss the final exam, with a valid excuse, you get an incomplete in the class; an incomplete is a major inconvenience for a number of people, including yourself, so, please, do not miss the final.

    To encourage and reward consistent performance throughout the semester, I will not automatically drop any scores (such as the two lowest quizzes, etc.)

    Students Requiring Special Accommodation
    Any student requesting academic accommodations based on special needs is required to register with DSP each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in GFS 120. To contact DSP: (213) 740-0776 [tel.], ability@usc.edu [e-mail], on the web.

    Academic Integrity
    USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus (the Student Guidebook) contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are in Appendix A.

    Other materials

    (part of) Lecture 1

    Basic Trigonometry (with some graphs)

    Background summary

    Practice problems: limits and derivatives

    Practice problems: applications of differentiation, integration

     

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